Not Applicable
The present invention relates to an improved adsorbent container for use in a refrigerant accumulator of an air conditioning system which contains a U-shaped return bend pipe.
By way of background, in the past when a single adsorbent unit was utilized in a refrigerant accumulator having a U-shaped return bend pipe, the bag itself had to be secured relative to the spaced pipes by means of an external tie or a clip which required extra parts and/or additional manipulative steps. Also, in the past, adsorbent units having two adsorbent containers were used on the U-bends of refrigerant accumulators. However, the outer ends of the two containers were not positively tied to the spaced pipes of the U-bend. It is with overcoming the foregoing deficiencies of certain prior adsorbent units that the present invention is concerned.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved single container adsorbent unit for a U-bend pipe of a refrigerant accumulator in which the mounting structure is an integral portion of the adsorbent unit itself.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved method for mounting a single container type of adsorbent unit onto the U-shaped pipe of a refrigerant accumulator.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved double container adsorbent unit having structure which permits both the outer ends of the double unit and the central portion thereof to be positively tied to an U-bend of a refrigerant accumulator. Other objects and attendant advantages of the present invention will readily be perceived hereafter.
The present invention relates to an adsorbent unit comprising a porous adsorbent container having a width, adsorbent in said container, a tab extending outwardly from said container, and an elongated slot in said tab extending in the direction of said width of said container and said slot having a length which approximates said width of said container.
The present invention also relates to an adsorbent unit comprising an adsorbent container, adsorbent in said container, first and second end portions on said container, a first tab on said first end portion, an aperture in said first tab, and a second elongated tab on said second end portion, said second elongated tab having a length which is a longer than the length of said container.
The present invention also relates to an adsorbent unit for mounting relative to a U-bend pipe of a refrigerant accumulator having spaced pipes and a return bend comprising a porous container, adsorbent in said container, first and second end portions on said container, first mounting means on said first end portion for placement about said spaced pipes with said container located between said first mounting means and said return bend, and second mounting means at said second end of said container for mounting relative to said return bend.
The present invention also relates to a refrigerant accumulator having a housing with a bottom wall and a side wall and a U-shaped pipe with a return bend adjacent said bottom wall and with first and second pipe portions extending from said return bend along said side wall, and a filter body extending outwardly from said return bend, the improvement of an adsorbent unit comprising a porous adsorbent container, adsorbent in said container, first and second end portions on said container, first means on said first end portion for mounting said adsorbent container relative to said first and second pipe portions, and second means on said second end portion for mounting said adsorbent container relative to said return bend.
The present invention also relates to a method of securing a container of adsorbent to a U-tube having spaced pipes connected by a return bend comprising the steps of providing first and second tabs on said container of adsorbent, looping said first tab about said spaced legs, and connecting said second tab relative to said return bend.
The present invention also relates to an adsorbent unit comprising a porous container having a width, adsorbent in said container, a tab extending outwardly from said container, an elongated slot in said tab extending in the direction of said width of said container, said elongated slot having a length which approximates the width of said container, and an aperture in said tab located between said elongated slot and said container.
The present invention also relates to an adsorbent unit comprising a porous adsorbent container having a width, adsorbent in said container, a tab extending outwardly from said container, an elongated slot in said tab extending in the direction of said width of said container and said tab having a length which approximates said width of said container, and means on said tab for securing said tab to the return bend of an U-shaped pipe.
The present invention also relates to an adsorbent unit comprising first and second porous containers, a central joining-portion joining first ends of said first and second containers in end-to-end relationship, first and second tabs on second ends of said first and second containers, respectively, first and second elongated slots in said first and second tabs, respectively, extending in the direction of the widths of said first and second containers, and said first and second slots having lengths which approximate the widths of said first and second containers.
The present invention also relates to an adsorbent unit comprising first and second porous containers having widths, adsorbent in said first and second containers, a central joining-portion joining ends of said first and second containers in end-to-end relationship, and an elongated slot in said central joining portion extending in the direction of said widths of said first and second containers and having a length which approximates the widths of said first and second containers.
The present invention also relates to an adsorbent unit comprising a porous adsorbent container, adsorbent in said container, and loop means secured to said container for looping about at least one pipe of an U-shaped pipe.
The various aspects of the present invention will be more fully understood when the following portions of the specification are read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: